PATTERSON FILTHY RICH aring variations on a scheme Mrs. perpetrated against her late husis his mentor. Seckel took books ook money and promised a book; rty lost money.” , humorous,” one of Seckel’s marks $75,000. When the time came to o it.” al people whom Seckel had stiffed uits he’d been involved in. In 2007, ‘ainst a man who’d edited his Wikiheimer spoke with Seckel’s lawyer, at he’d reached a settlement for the urnalist wrote. “Hornberger added tim for his services.” ’s wife, Isabel Maxwell. d date and married in Malibu in or p the dates in my head,” Seckel they moved to the South of France, de in rare books and papers. While I by a Virgin Islands company that raudulently attempting to sell rare tury portrait of Isaac Newton. ing to sell papers belonging to Isaell’s sister and the daughter of Rob- : * * 234 It was an odd thing, Epstein’s association with this self-professed PhD who, on closer inspection, turned out to be a bit of a grifter. But the Mindshift conference that Epstein and Seckel hosted in the Virgin Islands did take place, in 2010. Murray Gell- Mann was there, along with Leonard Mlodinow, a physicist who coauthored books with Stephen Hawking. Gerald Sussman, an expert on artificial intelligence who taught at MIT and also attended the conference, said that he didn’t remember too much about it. “We had scientific discussions, talked about various things,” he said vaguely. When Mark Oppenheimer asked him if he’d given money to Seckel, Sussman “got testy” with the reporter. “I have had some dealings with him,” Sussman said. “I don’t want to say what it’s about, because I don’t feel good about it, okay?” Today, Epstein’s websites-JeffreyEpsteinFoundation.com and JeffreyEpsteinScience.com-are down. Their domain names have long since expired. Several recipients of Epstein’s charitable contributions, including New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital and Ballet Palm Beach, announced that they would not be accepting new gifts. “The further I can keep myself from anything like that the better,” said Ballet Palm Beach founder Colleen Smith. But in 2012, Epstein held one more conference on Little Saint Jeff’s. Once again, three Nobel Prize winners were in attendance. Stephen Hawking was also there. All in all, Epstein had gathered twenty-one physicists-from Princeton, Harvard, MIT, and CERN 235 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009316¶
JAMES PATTERSON (the European Organization for Nuclear Research)-to “determine what the consensus is, if any, for defining gravity.” According to a press release issued by Epstein’s foundation, the consensus that did emerge was that space is “not quite empty.” Jeffrey Epstein: Februar It’s Groundhog Day, and ( ting the peak of his fame sode of Law & Order: SV own legal history. The setup for this episod girl. One who’s been flown to vate jet, then flown back-c On the plane, she has a fre guy sitting next to her is try police get involved. “It was just a birthday pa cops via videoconference fron The cops ask: Whose pres “The billionaire. The one Does the French girl know 236 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009317¶
PATTERSON or Nuclear Research) to “deterany, for defining gravity.” se issued by Epstein’s foundation, :ge was that space is “not quite 236 CHAPTER 62 Jeffrey Epstein: February 2, 2011 I t’s Groundhog Day, and once-reclusive Jeffrey Epstein is hitting the peak of his fame in a ripped-from-the-headlines episode of Law & Order: SVU that tracks, eerily well, with his own legal history. The setup for this episode is the rape of a very young French girl. One who’s been flown to New York on a very rich man’s private jet, then flown back-coach class-to Paris. On the plane, she has a freak-out. She thinks the middle-aged guy sitting next to her is trying to rape her. In Paris, the local police get involved. “It was just a birthday party,” the tearful girl tells the SVU cops via videoconference from France. “We were his present.” The cops ask: Whose present? “The billionaire. The one who owns the jet.” Does the French girl know his name? 237 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009318¶
JAMES PATTERSON F1 “Jordan. He wanted a massage. But I had to take off my clothes. He climbed on top of me. It hurt. I started to bleed, and it wouldn’t stop. The doctor came.” “Dominique,” the cops say. “We’re going to arrest this man. But we need you to return to New York so you can testify.” “Non,” says the girl. “Non! Jamais! Jamais!” For Epstein, there are other embarrassments, many of which have to do with his royal friends. The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is approaching, and the ongoing troubles of Prince William’s uncle Prince Andrew keep threatening to derail the festivities. On March 6, a spokesperson for Sarah Ferguson confirms that Epstein paid off part of the seventy-eight thousand pounds that the duchess borrowed from a man who was once her personal assistant. The next day, headlines appear in the Telegraph and other British papers: DUKE OF YORK “APPEALED TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN TO HELP DUCHESS PAY DEBT.” “I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me,” Prince Andrew’s ex-wife tells journalists. “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. “I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.” That week, as part of the ongoing civil lawsuits against Epstein, Sarah Kellen and Nadia Marcinkova are both asked about Prince Andrew’s relations with Epstein. 238 “Would you agree with Epstein used to share under len is asked. “On the instructions of invoke my Fifth Amendment “Have you ever been m Andrew?” lawyers ask Marci “Fifth” is Nadia’s simple, That same week, the gover role as Great Britain’s royal t tenacious, and in the Telegr stories appear on a daily basi: • The Duke, His Paedophi Use of an RAF Base • Andrew’s Secret Love Lif • Royal Connections: Princ Suddenly the Talk of New • Time to Show This Right • An Odd Trio: The Royal seuse and the Fixer • No. 10 Struggles to Conta • From Royal Asset to Nati • Royal Blush • Duke Could Be Called to • It’s the Company You Keep • Nothing Grand About Thi • The Royal Family Has 1 Choice of Friends For Yea • Our Less-Than-Grand Olc HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009319¶
‘ATTERSON ssage. But I had to take off my me. It hurt. I started to bleed, and me.” . “We’re going to arrest this man. ew York so you can testify.” Jamais! Jamais!” embarrassments, many of which nds. The wedding of Prince Wilroaching, and the ongoing trou- : Prince Andrew keep threatening arch 6, a spokesperson for Sarah in paid off part of the seventy-eight chess borrowed from a man who nt. appear in the Telegraph and other APPEALED TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN TO HELP f myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey ny way with me,” Prince Andrew’s abhor paedophilia and any sexual that this was a gigantic error of cannot say. Whenever I can I will ave nothing ever to do with Jeffrey he ongoing civil lawsuits against Nadia Marcinkova are both asked ons with Epstein. 238 FILTHY RICH “Would you agree with me that Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein used to share underaged girls for sexual relations?” Kellen is asked. “On the instructions of my lawyer,” Kellen replies, “I must invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege.” “Have you ever been made to perform sexually on Prince Andrew?” lawyers ask Marcinkova. “Fifth” is Nadia’s simple, succinct reply. That same week, the government downgrades Prince Andrew’s role as Great Britain’s royal trade envoy. But the British press is tenacious, and in the Telegraph, the Guardian, and elsewhere, stories appear on a daily basis: • The Duke, His Paedophile Guest, and the Most Unusual Use of an RAF Base • Andrew’s Secret Love Life Revealed • Royal Connections: Prince Andrew and the Paedophile Are Suddenly the Talk of New York • Time to Show This Right Royal Clown the Door • An Odd Trio: The Royal Trade Envoy, the Teenage Masseuse and the Fixer • No. 10 Struggles to Contain Row Over Prince • From Royal Asset to National Liability • Royal Blush • Duke Could Be Called to Two Epstein Trials • It’s the Company You Keep… The Duke’s Dangerous Liaisons • Nothing Grand About This Old Duke of York • The Royal Family Has Feared a Blow-Up Over Duke’s Choice of Friends For Years • Our Less-Than-Grand Old Duke of York 239¶
JAMES PATTERSON On March 11, a devastating undersea earthquake and tsunami move Japan’s main island by several feet, shifting the earth on its axis. The destruction is horrific and unprecedented. But on March 13, the Daily Mail devotes four pages and seven separate articles to Prince Andrew. That same day, the Telegraph runs three pieces, and the Sunday Times runs a two-page spread headlined GUN SMUGGLER BOASTS OF SWAY OVER ANDREW. On March 14, the Guardian runs one more piece about Andrew’s troubles. PRINCE ANDREW DOMINATES HEADLINES DESPITE THE EARTHQUAKE, the headline reads. 240 Alan Dershowitz: Septen I f the ongoing lawsuits ar millions left to spare. Mea whether Epstein trafficked seems to be going nowhere. A ning to look as if Epstein is fi But for Epstein’s friend an its, things are about to get ver At the start of 2008, Brad lawyer, had filed a motion in a of two unnamed women accushowitz of participating direct Prince Andrew had had no its had objected to the accuterms. “There’s absolutely no kern HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009321¶